Another Room
by repmetsyrrah
Summary: During their forced exile at Downton, Sybil and Tom set themselves a certain... challenge. Next stop: the kitchen. Rated M for a reason. Merry Christmas!


**A/N: **I promised I'd post this on Christmas Day my time (though I think most of you have joined me by now?) so here it is: my very first attempt at outright smut. I don't know if I did it right but most was written while drunk (with a minor interruption from some escaped cows) then edited sober but un-betaed and I'm really just not sure about it at all...

Anyway, this is mainly The Yankee Countess' fault, her and her 'every room in Downton' idea. Along with that one clip from _Rome_ and the 'In The Kitchen' chaellege at Across the Rubicon on Tumblr.

Anyway, Merry Christmas!

**Another Room**

* * *

Sybil Branson always did try to make the best of a bad situation.

There were many things about her current situation she couldn't change: that they were unable to return to Ireland, that they had a newborn child who needed constant care and that until her husband found a job which could cover the cost of rent and a nanny they were entirely reliant on the support of her family.

However, even if the situation couldn't be altered, she was determined to change her husband's bleak outlook.

So she had suggested they make the most of the forced stay in Downton and start on all those... _fantasies_ he had told her about in their bed in Ireland. The one in the library, in the garage, the car...

Then Sybil admitted she rather thought the sitting room on the second floor had nice carpet and the blue bedroom in the bachelors' corridor was rumoured to have a very comfortable bed...

One thing turned into another and not only did both their moods improve dramatically, but suddenly they found themselves working through _all_ the rooms in Downton.

"I bet we could do the whole house before we move out," Tom had told her one night, as they lay together on their blanket- which just happened to be spread out on the billiard table.

"Downton has a lot of rooms," Sybil reminded him.

"Yes," he agreed, "but _we_ have a lot of energy." Which he then proceed to demonstrate, several times.

They _had_ conceded several rooms, they agreed almost immediately that the servants' private bedrooms were out-of-bounds and Tom felt somewhat uncomfortable trying anything in her sisters' rooms. To both of their surprises they had yet to reach a consensus on her parents' bedroom, but that particular debate was not the subject of tonight's plans.

The main issue with any area below stairs was that they were very rarely ever deserted. Most especially tonight's goal, the kitchen, which seemed to require the constant presence of at least one maid at all times, even throughout the night.

Far from dissuading her, the challenge seemed to make Sybil only that much more eager.

After much thought and several more debates on the matter- "No, Tom we are not counting out rooms just because they're 'tricky'!"- they had come up with a plan that relied on quite a bit of luck and some careful timing.

Tom had formed a rather friendly relationship with Alfred in his time at Downton. Although he never needed the man's help he understood that it wasn't his fault he was ordered to attend to him and they had fallen into an understanding: Alfred didn't try and help Tom unless he asked, and Tom let Alfred pretend he was, while in reality he mostly sat in the chair and talked incessantly about the new kitchen maid, Ivy.

So when Tom mentioned a film showing at the village and suggested that it would be a good outing, perhaps for a young man eagar to spend time with a certain crush? Alfred took almost no time in telling him that later that night he had bought tickets and asked Ivy to accompany him.

Tom had also been correct in guessing that Mrs Hughes would be none too happy about the footman accompanying a girl alone and he was more than pleased when Alfred told him several of the other maids and hall boys were going along.

Which mean the kitchen and servants' hall would both be empty tonight.

Or _should_ be. With all the trouble it had been Sybil couldn't let herself become too optimistic as they crept down the stairs.

She went in first, her story being that she had been up nursing the baby and was in desperate need of some tea. She knew any of the maids would take pity on her, and they were all so enchanted with the new addition to the household they would relish the opportunity to be even a little part of it.

Thankfully, it was unnecessary, and Sybil felt herself grin at the sight of the deserted kitchen.

"All clear," she called softly, turning around and yelping as she found her husband, not waiting behind the door as instructed, but directly behind her.

Thankfully the noise was quickly muffled by Tom's mouth, which also caught her gasp when she felt herself lifted up and placed on the edge of the table in the middle of the room.

"Yes!" Sybil groaned, voicing her agreement as she realised his plan.

"Quiet," he hissed in her ear, softly drawing her earlobe between his teeth and sending sparks of pleasure through her body as his hands moved to her legs, running up her thighs and lifting her slightly so he could pull her nightgown up to her waist.

For her part, Sybil made quick work of untying his dressing gown and he only took his hands off her long enough to help her slip his arms out and throw it to the ground. Sybil groaned in pleasure as she felt him slip a finger in inside her, followed by two more, but it wasn't enough.

"_Tom_," she pleaded, reaching between them to stroke him. As much as she loved what he could do with his hands, she desperately needed them to be _together._

Right. Now.

Sometimes he liked to tease her but tonight he clearly felt the same urgency she did because he quickly removed his fingers and wasted no time repositioning himself and pushing slowly into her.

Sybil had to bite her lip to stop herself from waking everyone downstairs. Tom loved it when she was loud but since they had started their "mission", it had rather proved to be a hindrance to the overall goal.

If she couldn't tell him out loud though- she threaded her hands in his hair and pulled his mouth back to hers, at the same time hooking her feet behind his knees and pulling him into her fully, growing impatient with his teasing.

They stayed that way for a moment, revelling in their togetherness but they couldn't take too long- time was of the essence if they didn't want to give one of the kitchen maids a very visual education in the facts of married life.

"Does this count as the servants' hall too?" Tom asked, as they started to move together.

"There's a table in there too," Sybil reminded him, using her legs around him again to pull him closer, and deeper into her.

"Minx," he laughed and Sybil just grinned, running her hands up his perfectly formed arms and gripping his biceps, her fingernails digging into his arm as they quickened their pace.

He dipped his head to kiss her neck, sucking hard enough to leave a mark though at that moment Sybil couldn't have cared less, arching herself into him, her arms moving around him, pulling him closer.

She wasn't sure she would ever get enough of him. Even when he was inside her, it didn't seem like they were close enough.

"More," she demanded, not realising she had spoken out loud until Tom's hands came down to her buttocks, grasping them firmly enough to make her jump right of the table.

"Oh, _god_," she gasped again, as he lifted her away, so she was completely supported by him. Her legs around his waist and gravity driving her down harder onto him. "God, _yes_," she moaned, bucking her hips, completely forgetting the need for secrecy as she tangled her hands in his hair and pulled his mouth back to hers.

She would certainly make him do _this_ again, she knew, before she lost the ability to form coherent thoughts, simply holding tight to him as she found her release.

Tom must have turned her because a moment later he pushed her up against the wall, not quite able to continue holding her alone as he joined her, Sybil opening her eyes in time to watch his face as he let himself tip over the edge, breathless with the knowledge that _she _was the one to make him feel like this that she, and she alone, was the one to give him such pleasure, to make him lose himself so completely.

They stayed joined for a moment longer, breathing heavily, Tom still supporting their combined weight, thought he was now leaning heavily against the wall, and Sybil couldn't blame him, not sure her legs were up to the task of helping her stand just yet.

Usually they stayed like that far longer in the aftermath but this was no ordinary circumstance and they both froze as the sudden and unmistakable sounds of footsteps approached the kitchen.

"Quick," Sybil hissed, pushing him away from her and stumbling slightly as her feet hit the floor and her legs wobbled beneath her. She recovered quickly, pulling her nightgown back down and moving towards the door,

Tom grabbed his dressing gown and managed to pull it on and get himself and his wife up the stairs just in time to avoid what sounded like one of the miads.

"That was close," Tom breathed, as the pair hurried up the stairs, Sybil still rather weak in the knees from their escapades. "Are you satisfied now?"

"We can tick the kitchen of the list," she assured him, giggling as they entered the main body of the house and he turned, pushing her up against the wall for another kiss.

"Wait?" he asked, pulling back, "you've got a list? Thank god," he breathed, "I haven't been keeping track."

Sybil raised her eyebrows. "Neither have I," she told him, "it's a figure of speech, I haven't really written it down."

"Well, how will we know when we're done?" Tom asked with a frown.

"Oh _no_," Sybil sighed, in mock exasperation before grinning and pulling him closer. "I guess we'll just have to start all over again," she whispered against his mouth.

And suddenly, he wasn't that bothered at all.


End file.
